Articulated locomotive



@ma 2&9 AJM?. M K PATJENS ZY ARTIGULATED LQGOMOTIVE Filed April 25, 19365 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 .bSheets-Sheetv 3 Esc. 2L 93?, H. K. PATJENSARTICULATED LOCOMOTIVE Filed April 25, 1936 ,mu m I, 5.

M w m Patented Dec. 2l, 1937 l2403,172,-?Y f UNITED STAT ELS PATENAQEFF156i?. Y f

y Y 12,103,172 y Y -ARTICULATED LoooMo-'rivn Henry K. rations, Yeadon,Pa.

Application-April 25, 1936, :Serial No; '76;455 realms. 401.1054175) '1This invention relatesA generally -to 'an:articucombination'thatiis'relatively. simple `considering lated typelocomotive commonly referred to K.as a

` Mallet locomotive and relates imore lparticularly to anim-provedcombination of connecting elements 'between :the articulated rframes toinsure maximum stabilityfof operation through ar TWide range'of speeds.j

A great many arrangements have heretofore been proposed and usedforconnecting together the articulated frames of Mallet locomotives inorder to unify theaction of the articulated driving units. Certain ofthese `-arrangementshave included `pivotal connections vof various types`be` tween the two frames while other arrangements have included springsfor taking up slack and Wear `in vsuch pivotal :connections in order -tomaintain the articulated units in as near rigid relation as possible i-nthe belief that greater stability of Voperation vof the t-wo units couldbe obtained. These prior arrangements were nevertheless deficient ineffecting -maximum'ooopera'- tion between the articulated drivingunitsvwith the result that more satisfactoryV means. have always beendesirable.

The di'iculties incident to articulatedl locomo tives is especiallyraggravated by a combination of dynamic forces ofV reciprocatingy massesof the respective units together with the power impulses which may occurin a highly variable sequence in the respective .units'due to slippageofthe `wheels of one unit or the others' The problem is rendered evenmiore difficult due not only to the absolute necessity for maintaining ahigh degree "of flexi bility betweenV the articulated units to y permitsmooth turning around 'curves but also to the necessity for having theforward unit arrangedV to exibly laterally. support the boiler while theback unit is inflexibly laterally connected thereto. A The explanationfor the deficiencies in the `man-y prior art arrangements is believed tobe found in their inability to overcome with'a high degree of satis-`faction the complexities resulting from the combination of the massesinvolved, the powerim' pulses, the dynamic forces, the indeterminatesequence with which the dynamic forces and power impulses will occurandthe necessity for maximum flexibility of the units with respect toeachother together with the flexibility of one unit and the inexibilityofthe other unit relative to the boiler.

It is an object of Vmy invention to provide an its purpose and`function,- and is economical in'. manufacture and maintenanceandreadily acces-V sible for inspection and repair without unnecessarilyVrestricting or flimiting- "the 'cooperationvbe- 57.

tweenV the velements. Y

Other objects and advantagesfwill' be .more

Fig. 2 lis a vertical longitudinalv Asection. taken 15 substantially on:the .line 2-2 Pof; Figs. 3 yande; V3 isa horizontalsectiontaken`substantially on-'the line A3-13 fof Fig. 2;`

Fig. f4k isla horizontal :section taken *substantially on the lined-f4of Fig. 2.

In the specific aspect :of the invention illus#- trated hereinyIlhaveshovm a conventional v.type articulated *locomotive provided with aboiler `I; a back `driving unit having 'a fram'e supported inlaterallyvxed relation to the vboiler and termi-v nati-ng in 1a cylindersaddle generally-indicated at 3. A front driving' unit includes a frame`4 adapted to ilexbly support the -forward fend of theboiler through ausual waist bearer and cross-y tie generally indicated at 5 whichpermits relative lateral'movement between the front unit and boiler aswell as relative rocking movement there'- 'betweenf vThe driving rod andconnecting rods Y generally indicated at 6 are connected tothe front aengine pistn and cylinder 11 which is also rigidly 'g5 mounted onthefront. frame 4. "The 'drivin'grod and connectingrods for thereardriving Wheels are general-ly indicated at 8. V'It will ofcourse be'understood Vthat usual driving Vsprings and spring equalizing mechanismare employed together with 4'0 other usual struot'uralY elements oftherespective j driving "units, althoughit is 'not necessary -to describethe same here as they do not formany part of the present invention.

Asrisshown more clearly in Fig. 2v, the cylinder f5 saddle 3 has sidewalls 9 and abottom wall il!` Y depending between the side members offrame 2 and bolted at` 4l I, Fig. 4, or otherwise suitably securedtoor'formed therewith, thereby forming .a longitudinal opening l2. Atriangular shaped Malletconnecting bar I3 has one end receivedwithin-opening I2 for universal swivelling con.- nection to the backAframe throughV a balland socket lJoint UlVV which is supportedvllpon. QVeft tical pin I5. This pin is suitably supported in the lower wall I0and upper wall I6 of the cylinder saddle and is held in position by anysuitable or usual means such as a longitudinally adjustable wedge I 1.This wedge is provided with a threaded stem held in position by nuts I8on opposite sides of a lug I9 which is formed integrally with the frame.The forward end oi' the connecting bar I 3 is supported through bearings20 and 2| to permit only vertical pivotal movementon a transverse shaft22. This shaft is supported in a suitable rear crosstie 23 bolted orotherwise suitably secured to the front frame 4 by bolts 24,. This typeof Mallet connecting bar per se is well known and heretofore it has beenbelieved that any instability of operation of an articulated locomotivewas due solely to slack in the bearings at either end of the link causedby wear. It was attempted to overcome the difliculties incident to suchwear by providing buifer springs, but in the light of my presentinvention it will be seen that the problem is not one of merelyovercoming lost motion in the pivotal connections. I

In my present invention I employ the foregoing type of Mallet bar incombination with means adapted to produce frictional forces that areyieldable both vertically and laterally thereby to cause the connectingbar to maintain the articulated frames in positive longitudinal relationand at the'same time permit complete, but frictionally resisted,relative vertical movement between the frames. As a result of myimproved combination, individual effects of the variable sequence ofpower impulses and dynamic forces of the respective units will at alltimes be maintained in full cooperative relation tending either tobalance out each other or to produce a minimum resultant effectregardless of whether the forces emanating from each of the power unitsare vertical, lateral or longitudinal, this combination having thefurther advantage of obtaining the usualdesirable results of thecombined mass action of an entire locomotive. Hence it is possible withmy improved combination to obtain not only the results heretoforeaccomplished but also to obtain additional cooperative results.

To the foregoing end, I have provided as shown in Fig. 2 a transverselydisposed arcuate trackway 25 bolted at 25', Fig. 3, and projectingforwardly from the lowermost portion 26 of the cylinder saddle 3. A wearplate 21 provided with concave front and back surfaces in plan view;Fig. 4, is interposed between the face of trackway 25 and a horizontallycurved surface 28 formed on a member which is receivable in a suitablesocket 29 of a member 30. Ihis member 30 is bolted as at 3| or otherwisesuitably secured to the under side of the rear crosstie 23 of the frontpower frame. Any number of suitable springs 32 preferably coiled areinterposed between the member and a transverse wall ofthe longitudinallyyieldable pressed member 33. Pins 34 or other suitable means may extendthrough slots in member 33 to limit maximum outward .movement thereof.This device per se is of course old and well known, and hence itsdetails of construction do not need to be further described other thanto point out that the wear plate2I is provided with a suitable lip. 34'overhanging ar flange of trackway 25 to suitably guide the wear platearound the trackway and maintain the wear plate in operative relation tothe friction surface 28 during relative lateral motion between thearticulated frameswhile at the same time permitting relative verticalmovement between the contacting frictional surfaces of members 2'I and33 regardless of the relative lateral position between the frames.

Hence it is seen that the two power units of the articulated locomotiveare adapted 'to have maximum flexibility in both lateral and verticaldirections while at the same time providing a high degree of frictionalresistance to vertical movement of the two frames` relative -to eachother, thereby minimizing the unstable Veiiects of vertical dynamicforces in the two units, this being in combination with the simultaneousaction of the springs 32 in not only creating the frictional resistancebut in also maintaining the front and rear frames in complete positivearticulated relation without relative longitudinal movementtherebetween. This provides the necessary reactive forces to thefrictional producing force of springs 32 during all vertical and lateralrelative movements between the power units'of the locomotive. Thus it isseen that the various elements have been brought into such cooperaA`tive relation as to produce a locomotive that is highly effective ininsuring maximum stability and flexibility of operation with minimumnecessity for inspection and repair but nevertheless readily accessibleat any time. v

It will of course beunders'tood that various changes in details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts may `be made by those skilledinlthe art without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forthin the appended claims.

Iclaimz- 1. An articulated Mallet type locomotive having front and backframes with Vindividual power producing mechanism comprising, incombination, means for pivotally connecting said power frames togetherin positive relation but adapted to allow vertical and lateral relativemovement therebetween, elements having opposed surfaces adapted forvertical and lateral slidable contact with each other, spring means forpressing said surfaces into frictional contact with each other, andmeans connecting said elements respectively to said frames so that saidvertical and lateral movement is transmitted from the frames to saidsurfaces without such movement being transmitted through said springmeans.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized in thatsaid spring means comprises a longitudinally acting spring for creatingsaid vertical and lateral resisting friction and simultaneously tendingto separate said locomotive frames to firmly maintain the pivotalconnections between said frames.

3. An articulated Mallet type locomotive having front and back frameswith individual power producing mechanism comprising, in combination,means for pivotally connecting said power frames together inpositiverelation but adapted to allow vertical and lateral relative movementtherebetween, and means for frictionallyresisting said lateral andvertical relative movement including members carried by the respectivearticulated frames and provided with convex opposed surfaces in planview, a wear plate interposed between said surfaces and hav-` ingconcave surfaces mating with said opposed surfaces and one set of saidmating surfaces being adapted for vertical relative movement, andyieldable means for pressing all of said surfaces into frictionalcontact with each other, Wherebyany vertical` or lateral movement be-Atween said frames or vVertical dynamic forcesA created by the drivingmechanisms thereof will be resisted by the joint action of said framesthrough said frictional contact.

4. 'I'he combination set forth inV claim 1 further characterized in thatsaid means for pivotally connecting said frames includes a bar which isof triangular shape in plan View and has its apex swiveliy connected toone Vframe and its base only transversely pivotally connected to theother frame.

VHENRY K. PATJENS.

